Alleged campus gunman back in court

Daniel Tepfer

Updated 11:50 pm, Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Standing with his lawyer, Fred Paoletti, left, University of New Haven student William Dong, 22, of Fairfield, appears at Superior Court in Milford, Conn. on Tuesday, December 17, 2013.
Photo: Brian A. Pounds

Standing with his lawyer, Fred Paoletti, left, University of New Haven student William Dong, 22, of Fairfield, appears at Superior Court in Milford, Conn. on Tuesday, December 17, 2013.
Photo: Brian A. Pounds

Family members of University of New Haven student William Dong, of Fairfield, exit Superior Court in Milford, Conn. following Dong's court appearance on Tuesday, December 17, 2013.
Photo: Brian A. Pounds

Standing with his lawyer, Fred Paoletti, left, University of New Haven student William Dong, 22, of Fairfield, appears at Superior Court in Milford, Conn. on Tuesday, December 17, 2013.
Photo: Brian A. Pounds

Standing with his lawyer, Fred Paoletti, left, University of New Haven student William Dong, 22, of Fairfield, appears at Superior Court in Milford, Conn. on Tuesday, December 17, 2013.
Photo: Brian A. Pounds

MILFORD -- As his mother wailed in the back of the courtroom, William Dong, who police said they thought was ready to spray bullets into unsuspecting college students earlier this month, showed no emotion Tuesday as he stood before a judge.

But instead of not-guilty pleas being entered to gun charges, as the courtroom full of spectators and media expected, the proceeding ended with another continuance.

State's Attorney Kevin Lawlor told state Superior Court Judge Frank Iannotti he needed more time to file discovery -- information about the case he is required to turn over to defense lawyers -- and to do more investigation. With agreement from Dong's lawyer, Frederick Paoletti, of Bridgeport, the judge then continued the case to Jan. 14.

"He will be pleading not guilty at the next court date," Paoletti said later, outside the courtroom. "The state is doing its investigation, and we are awaiting the results of that investigation."

Lawlor declined comment.

During the brief hearing, Dong's parents sat huddled in the back of the courtroom sobbing.

At one point, the mother's cries became so loud her daughter put her hand over her mother's mouth.

The father uttered something in Chinese as they left the courtroom, but they had no comment for reporters.

Dong, 22, of Fairfield, who police said showed up on the University of New Haven campus Dec. 3 carrying two loaded semi-automatic handguns and a loaded assault rifle in his car, is charged with illegal possession of an assault weapon, illegal transport of an assault weapon, breach of peace and illegal possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle.

Both the transport and the weapon-in-a-motor-vehicle charges are Class D felonies punishable by up to five years each in prison. The other charges are misdemeanors.

Dong is being held in lieu of $500,000 bond.

Around 12:30 p.m. on Dec. 3, West Haven police received a call that an Asian man was just seen leaving a parked car outside the ShopRite supermarket carrying a long rifle. The caller said the man was walking toward the UNH campus, police said.

When officers arrived, they said witnesses pointed out a blue 2010 Toyota Rav4 parked against a fence in the south side of the store's parking lot. When officers looked into the car, they saw a soft-side rifle case folded on the passenger side floor of the SUV, and behind the front passenger seat they saw four AR-15 magazines.

A perimeter was set up around the car, while other officers rushed to the nearby campus, where they joined campus police already searching for the gunman.

A short time later, the call went out that police had the suspect on the ground and were arresting him after spotting him outside one of the buildings,.

The man, who was identified as Dong, was found holding a 9mm Glock 26 loaded with 10 rounds and one in the chamber. He also had a 40-caliber Glock 22 Gen 4 in a laptop case that was loaded with 15 rounds and one in the chamber, police said.

Shortly afterward, state police and FBI agents searched Dong's car and found a Bushmaster assault rifle with a collapsible stock on the floor behind the front passenger seat, police said. Five magazines with 30 rounds each were discovered next to the gun, along with three magazines with a total of more than 50 rounds for the handguns.

When police went to the Fairfield home Dong shared with his parents, they found his bedroom door padlocked.

After they broke open the door, police sources said they found 2,700 rounds of ammunition and newspaper clippings about the mass shooting in an Aurora, Colo., movie theater.